“Ugh, it’s my dad.”
“What does he want?”
“Who knows. Something horrible, I’m sure.”
Her phone rings again and her frown is back.
“You better answer it. You know he’ll just keep calling,” Darlene says.
She stands from her seat and rushes outside to take the call. Annoyance fills me at her disregard for her father. She blatantly ignored his call like a brat when someone like me would give anything to have his father call him again.
Despite my annoyance, my eyes fall to her sexy ass as she walks away. Her skirt swirls around her thighs as she walks, and I barely bite back my groan. There’s no doubt that I want her. I’m fucking rock-hard and aching to have her, but the last thing I need right now is a complication, and getting mixed up with Charity would be a major complication.
“She’s single, you know,” Darlene says, giving me a knowing look.
“Not looking for a relationship,” I grunt. It’s true. My career is just starting to take off. Being twenty-four-hour security doesn’t lend any time for personal matters.
“Jasper is a good time kind of guy,” Cooper chimes in.
“Fuck off,” I growl, giving my friend a warning look.
A few minutes later, Charity returns from taking her call. She’s stopped on her way back to our table by a tall, dark-haired man. He leans in close and says something that has her laughing. He says something else, and her eyes light up with curiosity. They exchange a brief conversation, then she flirtatiously pats his shoulder before making her way back to where we are sitting.
Darlene looks over her shoulder at the man that’s watching Charity’s ass. A low growl builds in my chest, but I tamp it down. I’m being irrational. She’s not mine and never will be.
Complication, I remind myself.
“He’s cute,” Darlene says when Charity takes her place at her side again.
She smiles, blushing. “He is kind of cute, but not my type.”
Darlene shakes her head. “How do you know?”
Charity’s eyes flash over to me. “Just not what I’m looking for right now.”
“Oh come on. It’s been months since you’ve played with anyone. It doesn’t have to be anything more than a little fun.”
Charity rolls her eyes. “I don’t want a random hook-up.”
Darlene gives her a knowing look. Then quickly changes the subject when her friend looks uncomfortable. “So, what did your dad want?”
“He wants me to go to some campaign event disguised as a charity fundraiser,” she says with a grimace.
Darlene winces. “Ugh, that sucks. Are you going?”
“He didn’t exactly make it optional. He said that it’s time I step up and do my ‘duty.’”
Her duty? What the fuck does that mean? It takes a bit, but it finally dawns on me just who this woman is. She’s Charity Winthrop, Congressman Winthrop’s estranged daughter. No wonder he wants her at his event. It’s been a topic of conversation for years as to why his only daughter isn’t involved in his campaigns.
Now that he’s running for governor, it’ll be important to his campaign to have his family together, given that he runs as a conservative with strong family values. Having an estranged daughter definitely doesn’t fit in line with what he wants his constituents to see. The detective in me is curious as to why she’s been estranged, but I dial that back. It’s none of my business.
She’s none of my business.
The only thing she could bring to me is trouble. Especially since there is this attraction between us.
“When is the event?” Darlene asks.
“Saturday,” Charity says with a sigh. “I really hate these things.”